It's probably really nitpicky and anal of me, but this sign at work is driving me crazy. The name of the program is "Every Time I Feel The Spirit." I think the intent was to write "Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit" to make it seem more folksy, but instead they wrote "Eve'y Time I Feel The Spirit." Well, now ev'ry time I see that sign I cringe!
Would you pronounce that "Evie" or "Evay?"
This drives me slightly less nut's than people who put apostrophe's where apostrophe's don't belong, making word's that shouldn't be possessive possessive.
One of the more glaring examples of this was on a sign in front of a restaurant indicating that the breakfast special was "Ham and Egg's." I kept wondering "Ham and the Egg's what??"
In spite of being perfect in eve'y other way, I do have a bit of trouble knowing when to use its and when to use it's. I usually use the motto "when in doubt leave it out" with apostrophes and let my editor figure it out. I can tolerate a dropped apostrophe. But an added apostrophe where there shouldn't be an apostrophe is just plain aggravating!
4 comments:
I think "it's" easy to tell when to use the apostrophe in that word. If it means, it is, then it's "it's." But when you write something like, "she got all A's on her report card," do you use the apostrophe? If you don't, it reads: "She got all As on her report card." What to do?
I used to see a sign that read "fry fish." They meant "fried fish." Drove me nuts. Same with "ice tea." How about Daylight Saving Time? People say, and write Daylight savings time. Adding the "s" to saving.
TLP,
I'm such a tard with that word. I don't know why. It seems like it would be easy. But I don't want to stop and think about it when I'm typing.
I think it's actually proper to use the apostrophe with something like "she got all A's" in order to let the reader know they're not seeing the word "as." The "fry fish" sign would get on my nerves too. "Ice tea," not so much. Not sure why. But the Daylight Saving Time one definitely seems like bad English.
I always have to think before I type it's. In my head is it or isn't it every single time, but I do remember that it's is for it is and the its is possessive but it makes me nuts. Why didn't some brillant linguist decide many moons ago to give us different squiggly things for possessive and for those other ways we use the apostrophe? It's no wonder that English is so difficult a language to learn.
I think the "savings" is a head trip trying to convince us that the idea was brilliant that the clock gets pushed forward. Like see the savings you have in your bank of daylight. lol You can bet there was some ad campaign guru behind that sell job I think.
That is astounding! The apostrophe-invasion here in Germany led to some really stupid things and terrible misuse - in German of course: Every "e" that in one fools sight can be let out will be let out. They do not know better. I did not consider that the native English-speakers could have trouble with it too as the "Egg's" proof.
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